Tech N9ne did something he’s never done before in concert at KC Fan Fest
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Tech N9ne completed a 90-minute set without using explicit language for the first time.
- A crowd of thousands saw the Fan Fest show after Team USA’s 4-1 win.
- Tech N9ne performed more than 20 songs and will return June 25 at 8:30 p.m.
Soccer fans at Kansas City’s FIFA Fan Festival got to witness a legendary performance from local legend Tech N9ne on Friday after Team USA’s win over Paraguay.
In all of his years of performing, the 54-year-old rapper never completed an entire hour and a half show without using some colorful, explicit words. Until the Fan Fest in Kansas City on Friday.
“I achieved something great tonight because I don’t think it could be done, and I done it,” Tech N9ne, whose real name is Aaron Yatez, said onstage to the crowd of thousands.
Yatez was able to take advantage of the good vibes created by USA’s 4-1 win, a performance that ignited the nation and fans on the World War I Museum and Memorial south lawn.
He came on in an all-red outfit, just a few minutes after the match ended just around 10 p.m., capping off an electric second night of Fan Fest in Kansas City. Yatez opened the show with “Straight Out the Gate” before being astounded by the amount of fans who were experiencing their first Tech N9ne performance.
“Holy moly, welcome everybody,” he said the crowd.
Yatez rattled through his wide range of songs, like “Midwest Choppers,” “Sriracha” and the hit “KCMO Anthem,” which got almost the entire crowd singing along and waving their hands. Several American Sign Language interpreters were temporarily seen on screen on the ground level with fans, a feature that usually has interpreters on the same platform as performers off to the side of the stage.
Lights flashed from the several scaffoldings around Fan Fest and from lights onstage. Yatez’s pores could be seen dripping sweat from the several different screens onstage and on the scaffoldings. The main screen onstage also rotated through his music videos and provided colorful backdrops to go with the themes of his songs.
The high-quality sound system around Fan Fest features a pulsing bass that can be felt through the asphalt throughout the outdoor space. Occasionally, the melodies overshadowed Yatez’s vocals on songs where he dropped his voice and let his quick-paced, chopping rhymes take control.
Speakers are spread throughout the space, making for an optimal listening experience all over Fan Fest.
As the crowd slowly trickled out with the aging, late evening, the energy was high, with fans reciting the lyrics of Tech N9ne staples “Am I A Psycho?”, “Face Off”, and the metro’s favorite Tech N9ne banger, “Red Kingdom.”
“This is beautiful,” Yatez said as he stood onstage and admired the crowd after he performed “Who Do I Catch” in the early stages of his set.
During the last 30 minutes of his set, Yatez comically, repeatedly asked for the time. The hour and a half performance saw him perform more than 20 of his songs, just a drop in the bucket from his catalogue that spans nearly four decades.
“What time is it? I appreciate y’all staying for this long show,” Yatez said toward the end of his performance.
Tech N9ne set a high standard for concerts over the 18 days of Fan Fest.
The stage is wide and on a high platform, the speakers boom throughout the heart of Kansas City, and lights and live camera views on screens give Kansas City an extra, temporary outdoor concert space for the summer of soccer.
The next premier act to follow is world-renowned electronic DJ-producer duo The Chainsmokers on Saturday. Other globally known acts like Flo Rida, as well as many local musicians, will be making their way to the Fan Fest stage over the next few weeks.
But in a summer meant to showcase Kansas City, Fan Fest night concerts started with Tech N9ne. And if you missed him this time, he’ll be back on the Fan Fest stage on June 25 at 8:30 p.m.
Tech N9ne is forever grateful to be one of the biggest and most loyal artists the city has ever produced.
“Thank you so much for choosing me to do this,” Yatez said during his performance.
